Life's a Journey
by AAnitab
Summary: There was no way that I or the voices in my head from V were okay with the finale. My Erica wants Jack, not Hobbes. Nobody's getting blissed out of their minds. Tyler and Lisa are not getting ripped apart (literally or figuratively) and … yeah. Done ranting now. Erica/Jack fluffy future fic. Romantic committed smut and familyness ahead.
1. Chapter 1

Title: Life's a Journey

Author: AnitaB

Author's notes: I own nothing from V. No money was made and no infringement was intended.

There was no way in hell that I or the voices in my head from V were okay with the finale. My Erica wants Jack, not Hobbes. Nobody's getting blissed out of their minds. Tyler and Lisa are not getting ripped apart (literally or figuratively) and … yeah. Done ranting now. Erica/Jack fluffy future fic. Romantic committed smut and familyness ahead.

Life's a Journey

by Anitab

Chapter one: Slow first steps

It had happened slowly, with great care and over a ridiculously long span of time. She smiled to herself, thinking back. And she wouldn't have it any other way. Oh, there had been times when something might have sped up the pace between them, and she had no doubt they would have very much enjoyed those occasions had they actually happened. But it would have been hard, fast, and rushed, some moment of comfort or connection before a battle. Maybe even celebration sex after a victory.

And her man would have felt so damn guilty afterward that Erica had no idea if he would have ever let anything happen again.

They certainly wouldn't have gotten here. And she wouldn't give up what they had now for anything. Erica dried her hands and stepped away from the sink. She automatically twisted the diamond ring straight on her finger before rubbing at the ache in the small of her back. She had everything she'd ever wanted and that was more than worth the wait. And the back pain… the smile on her lips twisted just a bit as the child inside her decided to practice for its future soccer career with her bladder standing in for the ball. "Come on, kiddo, what's with the kicking?"

Warm hands touched her back, sliding around to cradle the mound of her stomach as she leaned back into those arms with a sigh. "I know our baby's going to be smart, but I don't think it's up to speaking just yet." Her husband rested his chin on her shoulder as he pulled her closer, strong fingers rubbing tight skin. There was nothing better than his arms around her, his hands touching her. And Jack knew it. He loved holding her just as much as she loved being held. "Did talking to Tyler help when he kicked you from the inside?"

"Not even a little." Her head angled to the side, encouraging the trailing little line of kisses he started dropping along her neck. "But everyone always tells me that the second pregnancy is easier." Erica rested her hands on the backs of his, their rings making a small metallic clink.

"Is it?" His arms tightened and shifted, taking more of her weight right before he nibbled and licked over the mark behind her ear. He knew she couldn't think when he did that, knew that her knees went weak every single time. "Or is my baby as stubborn and hard-headed as its mother?"

"Jack…" She wanted more, wanted those lips against her own. But his arms were holding her tight, too tight to wiggle or turn. "I want…" Erica rocked her hips back into his, turning her head to try for a kiss. The sight of his smile weakened her knees even more. That was not an expression he'd ever worn before he'd slid a wedding band onto her finger. So many of her favorite memories started with that look on his face and it always pulled a reaction from her every nerve. Without fail. "Please,"

"Come here, Erica." His arms loosened just enough for her to turn and wrap both arms around his neck. Then his lips were finally, finally in reach of her own. With a low rasp of sound, he finally gave her a real kiss and she damn well loved it. This was perfect and something she would never, ever get enough of. It always started with a gentle touch of lips that took her breath away before he deepened the contact enough to keep her breathless and begging for more.

He always gave her more. Strong hands rubbed up and down her back, pulling the curve of her stomach tight against his body. The child inside her calmed at the warmth, loved when its daddy was this close. For a fetus, it had amazing taste. Erica wanted Jack closer, always had. From the first moment they'd met, there had been a pull between them. Even when he'd still been a priest, nothing had comforted her more than his hug, his touch. Just his voice or his presence in a room made the hard road of their rebellion a little easier to walk. No matter how much she'd always hated his collar.

Now he wasn't even allowed to wear a tie because she was not giving him back. This man was hers and she was keeping him. Every gorgeous inch of him. "Jack," She was already leaning in for another deep kiss when her fingers found his shirt buttons to fumble each one open.

"Erica," His hands caught and contained hers, pressing her palms still over his heart as he tried to focus on her eyes instead of her lips. "What about Tyler?"

"Unpacking the new apartment with Lisa. They'll be back in the morning for the last of his boxes and a family breakfast." There was the smile she adored before he buried his hands in her hair for a deep and wanting kiss. His arms wrapped tight around her while she was distracted by the plunge and dance of his tongue. It was only when he lifted his head that she realized he'd lifted her right off her feet. Strong arms were cradling her against his chest in the path of another breath-stealing smile. "My, what strong arms you have, grandmother."

She adored the sound of his low laughter, would do anything to hear it again. "The better to hold you with, my dear." Those gorgeous lips smiled into a quick kiss before he shifted her more comfortably in his arms and carried her toward their bedroom door.

Yup, she wouldn't give this or him up for the entire world.

000


	2. Chapter 2

Life's a Journey

by Anitab

Chapter two: Count your blessings

He was blessed. He was so blessed that some mornings he was afraid to open his eyes for the fear that this perfect life was all a dream and he would wake up all alone in his cold bunk in the rectory. He would wait for Erica to cuddle in closer against his chest before greeting the daylight. Blonde hair was usually tangled under his chin and her hand, warm and small, rested over his heart. /Erica…\\

Nothing was more beautiful than her smile, than her strong, feminine hand wearing his wedding ring. Nothing proved that God loved him better than this woman in his life and the curve of their child under their hands.

Nothing was better than her voice saying his name or the taste of her kiss. She was his wife, his love, and his partner. And in just a few more months, she would be the mother of his child.

He stepped into their bedroom with her cradled in his arms and barely managed to close and lock the door. Nothing made for a more awkward family meal than her full-grown son forgetting to knock. That was not an experience he wanted to repeat. But nothing would ever keep him from taking this woman in his arms, not ever, ever again. He'd had to wait far, far too long to really touch her the first time.

"Erica," Her arms tightened around his neck when he reached the side of their bed and he obeyed the silent command. His girl didn't want to lose contact. Since that was exactly what he always wanted, he had no problem with obeying. Shifting her closer against his ribs, Jack crawled into bed with his wife still cradled in his arms. He loved holding her, always had. But there were things he couldn't do with her as close as he wanted her. "Lay back, love." He adored the little sound of protest on her lips, smiling into a quick soft kiss before guiding her down to the sheets and pulling her hands above her head. "You are so beautiful, Erica. I can't believe I get to touch you."

He adored her response. At first her face took on just a hint of an embarrassed flush before she twisted against his grip. She was smiling by the time her hand guided one of his onto his favorite spot on her body: the swell of his child inside her. "You better believe you get to touch me. This one here is yours."

It seemed like every nerve in his body was there against the curve of her stomach, crowding into his hand just to feel this miracle. His child, cradled warm and safe inside his wife. The two people he loved most in all of creation were right here in his hands. "Mine." Jack mindlessly shoved her shirt up out of his way and got lost in the firm curve of her skin against his palms, under his lips. She was gorgeous, every inch from ribs to hips beautiful enough to steal his breath. "My child, my wife."

Small fingers buried themselves in his hair, but he was nowhere near done adoring her stomach. He hadn't kissed or stroked every inch just yet. He resisted the tug of her hands, catching his fingers in her waistband. It was time to get her bare, to worship every single inch of this heaven in his arms. "Jack,"

Her voice tried to tempt him back up to her lips, but he wasn't ready just yet. Kissing his way along one of the stretch marks he knew she hated, Jack rolled his eyes up to meet the need in hers. "Please, Erica. Lift up for me." Her fingers tightened and her teeth sank into her lip, but she nodded and helped him drag fabric out from under her hips and down her thighs. Almost, he had almost enough of her bare to his eyes, his hands. But that shirt he'd moved off her baby bump was still clinging to her breasts and ribs. Jack fisted his hands in the hem and tried to peel the cloth up her body when his wife started giggling.

"No, Jack." Delicate little fingers wrapped around his wrists before twining between his own. "You're not getting me naked until you're a hell of a lot closer to bare." His beautiful wife leaned up for a deep, sweet kiss, trying to distract him from his quest for skin. He still wanted the skin, but he would never turn down Erica's kiss. "Hmm, I want to feel you, Jack, every inch. Lose the clothes."

Jack freed his hands and buried all ten of his fingers in her hair with a smile against her lips. "Help me out of them, sweetheart." Then he leaned down for the taste of her smile and the sound of her moan. Jack smiled into the kiss when those skillful little fingers stumbled and trembled their way through his shirt buttons. It was his turn to make a helpless sound low in his throat at the stroke of her hands over his ribs. "Erica,"

"Hmm, see, Jack. If you were naked already, I could reach more of you."

There was nothing he wanted more. With another groan, he forced himself to sit back on his heels and fumbled at the buttons at his wrists. He had to get the cloth out of her way so he could get his hands back on her. His shirt was in a tangled pile on the floor when his wife reached for his belt. /No, baby. Not yet.\\ The second her fingers wrapped around him, she was going to rip away any self-control he'd ever had. And there was so much he wanted to do before that happened. "Hmm, your turn, Erica. Sit up for me."

One eyebrow arched in the moment before her fingers tightened on his waistband, curling in to rub her knuckles low on his stomach. Even that little bit of contact had his back arching and his breath catching. "Really, Jack? Who's closer to naked right now?"

"And it's staying that way until I've touched you enough." Jack stole a kiss and guided her hands up to cover his heart. "Don't you like it when I touch you? Don't you want to be in my arms?" He loved the way she shivered under the stroke of his palms up her thighs, adored the bite of her nails in his chest, and treasured the sound on her lips. "Don't you want my hands on you?"

"Damnit, Jack, you're way too evil to have ever been a priest." Those hands stroked up his chest to curl around his neck. "Fine, but I am getting you naked next, you hear me?" Then his wife tugged him down for another gorgeous kiss and finally let him strip her out of the last of her clothes.

Yup, this was heaven and he would never get enough of this precious woman bare in his arms. "Deal, but I get to touch you first." Jack finally pulled her into his arms, feeling every inch of her bare against his chest and his hands.

000


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